1999-01-06 04:00:00 PDT VALLEJO -- To Patricia Coleman, it seems that no good deed goes unpunished.

In August, a ruptured pipe spewed raw sewage into the apartment of Barbara Harper, one of Coleman's neighbors in a low-income Vallejo apartment and townhouse complex.

Harper and her five children -- one of whom, Aaron Patrick, has a progressive disease that will ultimately require a liver transplant -- were displaced.

Coleman took Harper and her family into her own modest three- bedroom townhouse -- and that's when her troubles began. For her act of charity, she says, she faces eviction.

Coleman rents her townhouse under a federally subsidized housing program known as Section 8.

Under Section 8, the federal government gives cities money to issue vouchers for low-income renters, who use the scrip to obtain housing from local landlords.

Depending on an applicant's need, the vouchers cover anywhere from a small fraction to most of the rent.

Seven of the 22 units in Coleman's complex are rented to Section 8 recipients.

Section 8 housing is generally viewed as a boon among voucher recipients, many of whom would be homeless without it.

But the eligibility requirements are tough. Program participants have to adhere to a number of statutes. If city administrators determine they have failed to meet any one of the rules, they can be evicted with only 30 days notice.

And that's what is happening to Coleman. One of the city of Vallejo's Section 8 stipulations is that no more than one family can occupy each apartment.

"At first, I was congratulated by (city housing director) Gary Truelsen for helping out Barbara and her kids, and then I end up getting evicted over it," said Coleman, who has been fighting a series of eviction notices, the last issued by Truelsen on December 4.

Truelsen acknowledges that he commended Coleman for sheltering Harper's family shortly after the sewage spill but added that he was forced to take action against her when it appeared the Harpers had settled in permanently.

"The rules say that nonfamily residents have to vacate after 30 days, and it was well beyond that time when we served the notice," Truelsen said. "We try to be fair, lenient and understanding, but we also have to enforce the rules. Otherwise, we wouldn't be eligible for federal funding."

Truelsen said he likes Coleman and hopes she finds a way to hang on to her Section 8 status.

He also said he knows Harper's son has a serious medical condition, "but Barbara has an obligation to take care of her family."

"We've bent over backward for her, but at a certain point you have to take action," he said.

Harper -- who was not a participant in the Section 8 program when the sewage spill occurred -- moved out of Coleman's apartment shortly after the December 4 eviction notice was issued. She is temporarily staying in a motel, but she has less than $600, and her funds are dwindling fast.

"I'm facing homelessness in the very short term," she said.

She produced statements from University of California at San Francisco physicians that attested to the grave condition of her 2- year-old son and said he will ultimately need a liver transplant to survive.

"My baby's condition is extremely delicate, and I have a hyperthyroid condition," said Harper. "Things were going well before this happened. I was studying business at Solano Community College, and my children were happy. But this has really beaten me down."

Coleman said that the basic problem she and her fellow tenants face is the poor relationship they have with their landlord.

The apartments are ill-maintained, she says, and when tenants complain, they are evicted.

Mike Tatham, the assistant property manager for the property management company, disputed Coleman's assertions that reprisals are directed at tenants who complain about conditions in their apartments.

"We're very concerned about the well-being of our tenants," Tatham said. "We have some very good tenants in that complex, and we want to keep them. But there are others who are, frankly, problems. They destroy property, or they violate the Section 8 rules, or they don't pay their rent. And in some cases we've served eviction notices."

As far as repairs, Tatham said, "We've put tens of thousands of dollars into fixing things up since we took over management in September."

Such conflicts seem to be part and parcel of Section 8 housing programs. Tenants feel powerless, while landlords often complain they are dealing with tenants who have no real concern for their property.

And underlying it all is the general trend in Bay Area housing costs -- they're going up, the poorest people find themselves increasingly hard-pressed to keep roofs over their heads.

"Even though landlords are guaranteed a fair return based on market rates, they sometimes find they can suddenly get a lot more than market rate," said a U.S. Bureau of Housing and Development staff member who asked not to be identified. "At a certain point, families start ending up on the street."

As for Coleman, she has one last chance to hang on to her home. She'll attend an arbitration hearing today to plead her case a final time. If the arbitrator finds in her favor, she'll be able to keep her Section 8 status -- and her townhouse.

Truelsen said he wishes her well.

"If I were the arbitrator, I would certainly take her contention that Barbara has moved out as a point on her side," he said. "If she receives a favorable ruling, we'll be delighted to provide further assistance."